The chapter begins by describing a man named Jephthah. He was the son of Gilead by a harlot (v. 1). His brothers threw him out of their house because he was a harlot’s son (v. 2). Jephthah fled from them and dwelt in the land of Tob, along with worthless men who assisted him (v. 3). During this time, the Ammonites arrived to fight against Israel (v. 4).
This quote was chosen because it shows the connection between the type of freedom that co-exist before the Republic of Gilead and after wards. Aunty Lydia emphases on what the world was like before the world of the Republic of Gilead was established. The old societies is one that was filled with freedom because there were no rules or restrictions for women to earn their money, wear what they wish to wear, and go places they wish to go. In other words, this type of freedom has some disapproval as well.
Discuss the importance of religion as a theme to the events, the characters and their actions in chapter 15. Religion is a key theme throughout Margaret Atwood’s novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, and features prominently in chapter 15. Other themes include those of corruption, desperation, and oppression, which are conveyed via the actions of key characters such as Moira and Serena Joy. Set in a religious society, the range of characters are each affected differently by the oppressive nature of the ruling religion. Chapter 15 focusses on how the ideology of Christianity is applied in Gilead, a theocracy, showing how the ceremony is ‘reluctantly’ adhered to by the Commander, someone who is supposed to be an example of a devout follower of religion, but is hypocritical in his own corruption and reluctance to comply with his own laws.
Surveillance and its Psychological Impact on society Margaret Atwood’s novel the handmaid’s tale is argued to portray the psychological impact inflicted by constant surveillance in a variety of ways. These traits are influenced by “The Eyes” and their ruthless efforts towards their pursuit to obtain the order. Surveillance in Gilead is purposely used to dictate societies actions and reason to obey by instilling fear of persecution. In response to confinement of distinct actions inevitably leads to one’s oppressions of internal thoughts and the corruption of their sanity and mental health. In addition, actions enforced by authority develops a patterned behavior that contributes to lack of individuality.
Blood was trickling between Hal’s empty, lifeless eyes; the strong smell of diesel filled the air and the heat from the flames kissed his skin. Moran pictured his partner by the truck, the helplessness he felt, the desperate urge to save him; ‘Dixon was right, Hal would have wanted me to save myself. Sometimes you can’t be saved; it’s the way it is!’ Searing pain in his legs came into to sharp focus and he opened his eyes, it was too late and Moran knew it.
As the novel progresses, Offered explains the restrictions put on her through government . In fact early in the novel when she's being guarded by the angels “If only they would look-If only we could talk to them- That was our fantasy “(Atwood 4). ‘If only” is emphasized because circumstances would be different if the interaction was “allowed”. It's significant because socializing is the only way to get through life, there's no way around it.
The novel opens with an unnamed narrator who begins to tell a bedtime story to two children, Abdullah and Pari. The narrator recounts the sad tale of a farmer named Baba Ayub, who lived in the fictional village of Maidan Sabz. Although the man was quite poor and had to work very hard to feed his large family, he loved his wife and children dearly, especially his youngest son, Qais. Baba Ayub was content with his simple lifestyle but, when an evil monster known as the div visits his village, his fortunes suddenly take a turn for the worse. The div eats anyone who looks at it and, because of this, the villagers fix their eyes on the ground, in fear of becoming the monster’s next meal.
In time, the society adapts to the new changes. At the women’s center, when Janine gives her confession, the other handmaids accuse her of being the instigator of her own rape. While the reader would assume that the other handmaids were trying to avoid punishment, looking back Offred sees that “[w]e meant it, which is the bad part” (Atwood 72). So easily, the opinions perpetuated by the government were adapted by the citizens in small ways. Another example of this slight transition in mindsets is when Offred walks through the town with Ofglen and encounters a group of Japanese tourists, and looking at the Japanese women comments that “‘They seem undressed.
What Does it Mean to be a Woman Today? The long, winding road also known as the history of women’s rights dates back long before one’s memories even begin. While women have came far today, the battle for equality continues. In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale a not so pretty picture is painted in what foreshadows a regression of all the triumphs a woman in the world today has persevered for.
Introduction Canadian author Margaret Atwood describes in her futuristic speculative novel The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), a story about a handmaid, with a patronymic name Offred, who witnesses, experiences and recounts a transformation of her country. The country has turned from the land of freedom to the totalitarian theocracy, where tyrannical dictatorship, oppression, Christianity and Biblical speeches held sway over people, in particular, over women. Aiming to return things to “Nature’s norm” (THT 232) and “traditional value” (17), a group of men called “Sons of Jacob” has established The Republic of Gilead, “after the catastrophe, when they shot the President and machine-gunned the Congress and the army declared a state of emergency” (183). Like the New England Puritans of the seventeenth century, Gilead is against women’s education, “second marriage, non-marital liaisons adulterous” (316), divorce, second marriage, homosexuality, pornography, abortion, and sterilization. The last one is the serious problem, which threatens the continuation of the future Gilead: [T]his was the age of the R-strain syphilis and also the infamous AIDS epidemic, which [...] eliminated many young sexually active people from the reproductive pool[.]
In Margaret Atwood’s novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Moira is depicted as the symbol for resistance to authority and represents hope to the Handmaids. Atwood presents her as a polar opposite to Offred. She is independent, strong-willed, and outspoken. Conversely, the pair can be argued to be doubles in the fact that they both ‘resist’ to the oppressive Republic in Gilead.
The title The Handmaid’s Tale is adequate for the novel because this is a story, which may or may not be completely true, similar to a tale, that is narrated by a Handmaid named Offred in a society where women are reduced to objects for reproduction. As revealed in the historical notes of the Handmaid’s Tale where the Professors discloses that this was a title they had given to the novel after it was discovered, and making it similar to many of Chaucer’s famous works, the title connects the fact that the narrator is a Handmaid. Furthermore, the word tale is a homophone to the word tail which connects to the phrase “get some tail” showing that the title is a reference to the sexual acts the Handmaid is forced perform in the novel. The main conflict in the novel revolves around Offred who is a handmaid that desires freedom and happiness against the restricting theocracy of Gilead.
Margaret Atwood has seamlessly woven a tapestry of feminist elements - mainly regarding gender oppression - within her works. With that, using two of Atwood’s texts, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Year of The Flood, as the foundation for our literary research, we will be focusing on the commodification of the female flesh in both similar dystopian contexts. Commodification refers to the action or process of treating an object, or a person, as a raw material or product that can be bought and sold, or even treated as an object of which sovereignty can be held over by one. In both works, women are victimized and treated as sexual beings whose bodies and physical expressions can be freely used by the men who have power over them against their will. The two texts illustrate how society brings about the oppression of women and this exacerbates the commodification of women.
Thesis: Atwood alerts us that it is important to remember who you are. We have all heard our parents tell us to never forget who we are, but many of us don’t know the true meaning of remembering who we are. Does it mean to remember where we came from? Or where were going? Or remember what we have been taught?
The novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a story about a society set in a future world where women’s rights have been revoked. Many values change with this new regime of controlled women and strict laws. Despite the changes in the world it maintains many conservative, religious beliefs while also containing liberal, feminist beliefs simultaneously. Society in the futuristic world of Gilead is structured heavily off of readings from the Bible and traditional views of gender that have been in place for a long time. An example of the Bible being an important part of society is the idea of the Handmaids came from a passage in the Bible about two women, Rachel and Leah.
